Method of mending knitted fabrics formed of thermoplastic thread



y 1951 A. T. M MAIN ETAL METHOD OF MENDING KNITTED FABRICS FORMED OF THERMOPLASTIC THREAD Filed Sept. 12, 1947 STOCKING INVENTORS 91.52.21 T. MSMAIN NlcHoLAs AMALESK Y MRNSBHYWELD Smnc-as.

)y/m 5 ATTORNEY Patented July 17, 1951 METHOD OF MENDING KNITTED FABRICS FORMED OF THERMOPLASTIC THREAD Albert T. McMain, Philadelphia, and Nicholas A. Malesky, Phoenixville, Pa., and Mansfield F. Skaggs, Nashville, Tenn., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of the United States of America Application September 12, 1947, Serial No. 773,592

1 Claim. 1

In the knitting or weaving of textile fabrics it often happens that a thread is snagged and pulled out. Such thread, if not broken, can be worked back into the fabric but, due to stretching or wrinkling, of the thread, the fabric is more or less defaced and must be sold at a lower price. It is therefore the main object of the invention to produce an improved method of, and an improved apparatus for, treating a fabric so that the defacement resulting fron 1 the working of a pulled thread back into the fabric will be eliminated or at least minimized so that such fabric may be sold at a higher price than would otherwise be possible.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive and durable apparatus for carrying out the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a piece of knit fabric showing, diagrammatically, how the fabric appears when a pulled thread is worked back into the fabric.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the method of treating the fabric of Fig. 2 to eliminate or minimize the defective appearance as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the fabric after it has been treated according to this invention.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 includes any suitable frame or chassis for supporting a work table II! which supports an anvil I2. The chassis,

or the work table, also supports a bracket I4 to the upper end of which is pivoted, as at I6, a rocker arm I8. One end of the rocker arm carries a head 28 and the other end of the rocker arm is urged downwardly by a spring 22 which is secured to the work table or to the chassis. The head 20 is heated by electrical energy supplied by a wire 24 which preferably runs along the rocker arm l8. The temperature of the head 20 is kept at any selected value by means of a conventional thermostatic control mechanism 26. To depress the head 20 so as to bring the flat underside 28 thereof into engagement with the flat surface 30 of the anvil, there is provided a rod 32 which is pivoted at 34 to the rocker arm 2 I8 and at 36 to the end of a treadle 38. The other end of the treadle is pivoted to the frame at 40. The anvil is made of a flaring, or generally conical shape so as to facilitate the spreading in all directions of a fabric stretched thereover.

In practice, when a thread is pulled out of a fabric, such for example, as the knit stocking portion shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to work the thread back into the fabric, but such thread will present a somewhat rough or wrinkled appearance as diagrammatically shown at 42 in the control course of stitches in Fig. 2. A stocking or other fabric having a conspicuous blemish of this kind must be sold as a second or as defective material.

In order to eliminate the rough and wrinkled appearance shown in Fig. 2, the portion of the stocking, or other fabric, in which the blemish occurs is draped over the anvil and is pressed down gently so as to stretch the wrinkled thread, in all directions, to an extent suflicient to cause the thread to assume a generally smooth and uniform appearance. The treadle is now depressed so as to cause the heated head 20 to press the fabric downwardly against the anvil with the desired pressure and with the desired temperature.

When the thread is made of a synthetic, thermoplastic material, the heat of the head is so adjusted as to cause the material to soften enough to flow somewhat but not enough to melt or fuse the material. When the thread is made of silk, cotton or other natural fiber, it may be desirable slightly to moisten the fabric somewhat and the temperature of the head is adjusted accordingly. If desired, the anvil also may be heated.

As generally illustrated in Fig. 4, the wrinkled thread 42 of Fig. 2 is completely, or almost completely smoothed out and the stocking or other fabric can now be upgraded or sold either as a first or at least for a higher price than would be possible when the fabric presents a defective appearance as generally illustrated in Fig. 2.

It has been found that by practicing the method disclosed, by means of the apparatus disclosed or by means of an equivalent structure, the loss due to selling merchandise as seconds is gen- 3 erally reduced and a corresponding saving is effected.

What we claim is:

The method of improving the appearance of a knitted fabric which is formed of thermoplastic thread and a thread of which has been displaced from its normal position in the fabric, which method consists in working said thread back into place in the. fabric, stretching the portion of the fabric in which said-.d'isplaced: thread is located to cause said thread to assume a smooth and uniform appearance, and subjecting said thread, while it is so stretched, to pressure and heat Suficient to soften but not to meltv such thread to cause said thread to retain said smooth and uniform appearance.

ALBERT T. MCMAIN. NICHOLAS, A.. MALESKY; MANSFIELD E; SKAGGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 387,294 Gessner Aug. 7, 1888 439,286 Wood Oct. 28, 1890 734,503 Benjamin July 2, 1903 1,257,194 Daly Feb. 19, 1918 1,868,934 Zacharias July 26, 1932 2,066,011 Marcellitti Dec. 29, 1936 2,123,402: Cohn July 12, 1938 2,157,119 Miles, Jr May 9, 1939 2,361,371 Hanson Oct. 31, 1944 2,396,166 Faucette Mar. 5, 1946 23,448,032 Kennedy Aug. 31, 1948 2,460,674 Bihaley Feb. 1, 1949 

